THE SINGING BIRDS. 159 



darts furiously down and chases the intruder to a distance, sometimes as far as a mile from the nest, 

 and then returns rapidly to his little family. So bold and fearless is the Tyrant Shrike upon these 

 occasions, that even Falcons scarcely venture to approach its nest; and the cats of the neigh- 

 bourhood, well knowing the reception they would meet with, carefully avoid trespassing within the 

 domains of the intrepid father. 



" At this period," says Wilson, " the extreme affection of the Tyrant Shrike for his mate and 

 young makes him suspicious of every bird that happens to pass near his residence, so that he attacks 

 every intruder without discrimination. In the months of May, June, and part of July his life is 

 one continued scene of broils and battles, in which, however, he generally comes off conqueror. 

 Hawks, Crows, and Eagles all equally dread an encounter with this dauntless little champion, who, 

 as soon as he sees one of the last approaching, launches into the air to meet him, and darts down 

 on to his back, sometimes fixing there, to the great annoyance of the king of birds, who, if no 

 convenient retreat be near, endeavour.s by various evolutions to rid himself of his merciless adversary. 

 But the Tyrant Fly-catcher is not so easily dismounted ; he teases the Eagle incessantly, charges 

 upon him right and left, and remounts into the air, that he may descend on his enemy's back with 

 greater force, all the while keeping up a shrill and rapid twittering, and continuing the attack 

 sometimes for more than a mile, until he is relieved by some other of his tribe equally eager for 

 the contest." 



The Purple Swallow alone seems capable of contesting the field with this courageous opponent, 

 and resisting its attacks. Wilson mentions having seen the Tyrant Shrike also greatly irritated by his 

 vain efforts to get rid of the Red-headed 'Woodpecker, the latter dodging him round a rail, and 

 appearing highly amused at the impotent rage of his assailant. 



About August the voices of these birds are far more rarely heard, and they employ their time in 

 picking the worms and insects from the furrows in the fields, or in gliding over die water in pursuit of 

 flies. Like the Swallow, they drink and bathe whilst on the wing, invariably perching upon a 

 neighbouring tree, the better to dry their plumage. The Tyrant Shrikes quit the United States 

 before any other of the feathered summer visitors, and prosecute their migrations by night as well as 

 by day, flying alternately with rapidly repeated strokes of the pinions, and a smooth, gliding motion, 

 that is apparently produced without the slightest effort. The flesh of this species is delicate, and 

 much esteemed in Louisiana. A Tyrant Shrike kept for many months by Nuttall always swallowed 

 berries whole ; grasshoppers, if too large to be so disposed of, were pounded and broken on the floor 

 of his cage, as the bird held them in his beak. To manage the larger beetles was not so easy ; these 

 he struck repeatedly against the ground, and then turned from side to side, by throwing them 

 dexterously into the air, after the manner of the Toucan ; the insect being uniformly caught reversed 

 as it descended, with the agility of a practised cup and ball player. After the beetle was swallowed, 

 he remained perfectly still for some time, in order to digest his meal, tasting it distinctly some time 

 after it entered the stomach, as was obvious from the ruminating motion of his mandible. When the 

 soluble portion had been extracted, large pellets of the indigestible legs, wings, and shells were 

 brought up again in half an hour's time, and ejected from the mouth after the manner of Hawks 

 and Owls. This bird, we are further told, had the sagacity to retire under the' shelter of a depending 

 bed-quilt in the apartment about which he was allowed to run at large, if the weather was unusually 

 cold. 



THE BENTEVI. 



The Bentevi (Saurophagus sulphuratus), a well-known species, resident in Brazil, is recognisable 

 by its comparatively long wings and slightly incised tail. Its legs are powerful, tarsi high, toes long, 

 and armed with sickle-shaped claws ; the beak, which is higher than it is broad, and terminates in a 



